When we’re small children, our mistakes are applauded. Our falling-down attempts to walk for the first time are cheered by our parents, giving us the courage to get up and try again. When we accidentally put our shirt on backwards, people smile and praise our independence. At this age, the world teaches us that failure is merely part of the journey to success.
But when we get to school, we quickly learn that mistakes are bad. Answers are right or wrong, true or false. The risk-taking that used to be rewarded is now punished, and we either give up or learn to stick with safe answers. Unfortunately, this black-or-white thinking doesn’t encourage learning. Instead, it encourages a fear of failure and discourages inventiveness.
Teachers are starting to worry, and “resiliency(心理弹性)” is perhaps the latest buzzword(术语) in education. In June, the California Teacher’s Association published an article called “Teaching Students to Bounce Back.” It argued that children are under more stress than ever, but lacking in “basic coping skills”. The article infers that this loss of coping skills could be because “years of testing and test preparation have robbed them of critical thinking skills and the ability to self-reflect.” It’s no coincidence that anxiety among teenagers is on the rise. In her book, The Price of Privilege, Marilyn Levine tries to make sense of this phenomenon: “When parents place an extremely high value on outstanding performance, children come to see anything less than perfection as failure. While most kids hang in there and try to meet those high expectations, more and more kids are quitting.” Students are afraid to try anything new, prevented by fears of appearing imperfect.
Allowing our children to make mistakes is the best way to fight this culture of perfectionism. We must remind them of what they knew as toddlers(初学走路的孩子): mistakes are a valuable part of the learning process. Creation and discovery can only be developed if we give our children the freedom to fail. Schools can build resiliency by stressing exploration over correctness. School needs to be a place that doesn’t just teach the right answers: it should also be a place that teaches kids how to bounce back from failure.
1.What does the underlined word “it”(Paragraph 2) most probably refer to?
A.The risk-taking. B.The falling-down attempt.
C.Putting one’s shirt on backwards. D.The black-or-white thinking.
2.According to Paragraph 3, students lose basic coping skills because they .
A.lack parents’ understanding and teachers’ guiding
B.lack critical thinking skills and self-reflection ability
C.have too much anxiety and need comfort
D.have too much independence and freedom
3.Marilyn Levine believes that .
A.most children quit because they are imperfect
B.parents are trying to prevent their children from appearing imperfect
C.children are so afraid of things that they try to avoid trying new things
D.children place a high value on trying new things
4.What might be the best title for the passage?
A.Making Mistakes in School Is a Must.
B.Teaching Students to Bounce Back Is Popular.
C.Students Should Learn Without Failure.
D.Anxiety among Teenagers Is on the Rise.
The average American male consumes 100 grams of protein daily — almost double the necessary amount. This overconsumption isn’t able to continue for long. Besides, there’ll be an extra 2.5 billion people by 2050. Therefore, the United Nations will need to increase as many as 70% food projects by 2050 to solve this problem.
To survive, we need to change the way we farm and eat. Experts say algae(藻类植物), which can offer lots of protein, could be a possible solution. Meat, which is our main source of protein, uses a lot of our limited resources, like water and land, not just for the animals but also to grow their food. But the green slimy algae that lives in oceans, ponds and aquariums can grow fast, is packed with nutrition and needs next to nothing to grow. It can even grow in a desert. That’s surely a big deal.
The wellness company iWi is now growing a type of algae on a large scale. The farm has green seas as far as the eye can see. The entire farm covers 900 acres, 98 of which is currently being cultivated and operates all year around.
The algae on the farm is grown in long ponds called “raceways”, and an engine constantly stir water to make sure the algae is exposed to the sunlight. CO2 and a tiny bit of fertilizer are then pumped into the water to help the algae grow.
The fresh algae grown on iWi’s farm is a far cry from the unpleasant taste in your mind. That’s because not all types of algae smell or taste like pond scum(浮垢). And the farm’s algae simply tastes salty and gives hope that people would willingly eat this.
“The protein we’re producing is not going to be green,” said Miguel Calatayud. “Our protein powders will be difficult to be noticed when added to other foods. It will be in every single food that you eat on an everyday basis. Algae is going to be part of a regular food chain for us. It’s going to be a great thing for all of us and for our entire planet.”
1.Why will the UN need to increase its food projects?
A.To deal with over-population in the world.
B.To double Americans’ protein consumption.
C.To ensure Americans’ 100 grams of protein daily.
D.To solve the possible protein shortage worldwide.
2.What’s the algae’s advantage over meat?
A.It contains more protein. B.It can grow in the desert.
C.It is much more delicious. D.It is environmentally-friendly.
3.What does the underlined part in Paragraph 5 mean?
A.Is considered as. B.Is different from.
C.Is responsible for. D.Is applied to.
4.We can infer from Miguel Calatayud that the new algae_____.
A.can benefit the demand for protein unconsciously
B.has a surprisingly good effect on people’s health
C.has a different color from the common algae
D.can change the future of our eating habits
Satellite, hunger, stars, kerosene lamps(煤油灯), the Milky Way, the Cultural Revolution’s factional civil wars, a light-year, the flood… these seemingly unconnected things combined together and formed the early part of my life, which shaped the science fiction I write today.
As a science fiction writer who began as a fan, I do not use my fiction as a way to criticize the reality of the present. I feel that the greatest appeal of science fiction is the creation of numerous imaginary worlds outside of reality. I’ve always felt that the greatest and most beautiful stories were told by science. They are far more magnificent, grand, involved, profound, thrilling, strange, terrifying, mysterious, and even emotional. Only, these wonderful stories are locked in cold equations(方程式) that most do not know how to read.
There’s a strange contradiction: On Earth, mankind can step onto another continent, and destroy the civilizations through war and disease. But when they look at the stars, they turn emotional and believe that if aliens exist, they must be friendly and kind.
I think it should be the opposite: Let’s turn the kindness we show toward the stars to mankind and build up trust and understanding between different peoples and civilizations. But for the universe outside the solar system, we should be cautious. For a fragile civilization like ours, this is the most responsible path.
As a fan of science fiction, a considerable part of the science fiction I’ve read comes from America. The fact that American readers can now enjoy my book makes me both pleased and excited. Science fiction describes event of interest to all of humanity. It often describes a day when humanity will form a harmonious whole and I believe the arrival of such a day need not wait for the appearance of aliens.
Except from “Author’s Postscript for the American Edition of The Three-Body Problem”
1.What shaped the author’s present works?
A.His early life experiences. B.Unconnected daily objects.
C.American science fictions. D.The adventures in his imagination.
2.Which aspect of science fiction appeals to the authors most?
A.The appearance of aliens.
B.The way to criticize present reality.
C.The creation of numerous imaginary worlds.
D.The wonderful stories combined with equations.
3.What is the author’s attitude to human’s idea about aliens?
A.Supportive. B.Negative.
C.Uncertain. D.Indifferent.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A.The author’s achievements in science fiction.
B.Themes and points of view of the author’s works.
C.People’s knowledge and misunderstanding about the universe.
D.The author’s devotion to science fiction and concern for mankind.
You might have heard a lot about ancient towns and ancient cities in China. Here, we list several of the most beautiful ancient villages in China.
Baoshan Stone City, Yunnan Province
Baoshan Stone City was built on a huge mushroom-shaped rock, and only has about one hundred houses. The houses are laid out in an orderly way, built on the rock, and linked by stone steps. The Naxi people there still lead an original life and grow crops in terraces(梯田); you can experience the colorful culture of the Naxi ethnic(民族的) group there.
Tuvas Village in Kanas, Xinjiang
Kanas Tuvas Village is near the mysterious Lake Kanas. The small village is located in a valley, and only has about 80 houses. These Swiss-style wooden houses are all surrounded by wooden fences. Tuvas is an ancient minority group. They traditionally lived as hunter-gathers. You can visit a local family, go herding(放牧) with the locals and experience the peaceful ancient village life.
Jiaju Tibetan Village, Danba, Sichuan Province
Jiaju Tibetan Village is known as the “Tibetan fairyland”. It stands on a mountain slope, and consists of about 140 houses. These unique houses are all built with crown-shaped roofs, red caves, and white walls, which make the houses look like little castles among the forest.
Xijiang Miao Village, Guizhou Province
If you’re interested in the Miao Minority, Xijiang Miao Village can be a great destionation for deepening your understanding of Miao history and culture. It’s the largest Miao village in China, and now has 1,432 households with a population of over 5,000, of which 99.5% are Miao ethnic group. It’s also famous for the houses built on poles of different heights.
1.What can you do in Kanas Tuvas Village?
A.Hike in terraces. B.See houses of a foreign style.
C.Go hunting with the locals. D.Learn about houses built on poles.
2.Where can you admire the houses like castles?
A.In Baoshan Stone City. B.In Kanas Tuvas Village.
C.In Jiaju Tibetan Village. D.In Xijiang Miao Village.
3.What can we infer about the villages mentioned in the text?
A.They remained secret to the outside world in the past.
B.They were originally built to defend their homeland.
C.They are still cut off and difficult to access nowadays.
D.They are the ethnic villages with unique architecture.
假设你叫李华，是一家英文杂志社的心理咨询师。某中学生小王给你写信，提到自己偏胖，想节食减肥，征求你的意见。请你给她回一封信，谈谈你对该问题的见解。内容要点如下：
1．健康比漂亮更重要；
2．学生以学习为主，不要过于注重外貌和别人的看法；
3．可通过多锻炼身体保持健康，要改变不良的饮食习惯；
4．健康的心态也很重要。
注意：1．短文必须包括所有内容要点，可适当发挥；
2．词数：100左右。
3．参考词汇：state of mind 心态
Dear Xiao Wang,
I have received and read your letter, in which you mentioned that you wanted to lose weight by dieting.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处错误，每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加，删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符好（∧），并在其下面写出该加的单词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（﹨）划掉
修改：在错的词下面画线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处错误，多者（从第11处起）不计分
One activity that my family and I enjoy do every summer is taking our boat out. It’s so many fun！We always invite one of our neighbour, Paul, to go with us. Paul is also my best friend, whom is the same age as I. He is good for swimming and fishing. I still remember last year he catches a very big fish. Every time we go boating, my father drives the boat. Sometimes he drives them really fast when we are sitting in front of the boat. We are very excited and happily. My mother always brings a lot of fruits and snacks. When we are hungry or thirsty, and we can eat them.
